Mechanism for feeding binding wire intermittently



March 10, 1964 -w J. HOGAN ETAL MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BINDING WIRE INTERMITTENTLY TO WIREBOUND BOX-MAKING MACHINE Filed May '7, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS MAL/AM J 16 091 4444M hay/1 40. 4

March 10, 1964 w J, HOGAN ETAL 3,123,830

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BINDING WIRE INTERMITTENTLY To WIREBOUND BOX-MAKING MACHINE TE 422? v. M

1 El JNVENTORS' q MLL/A/rl IA 0&4 BY ALLAN/0.5701406 w. J. HOGAN ETAL 3,123,830

March 10, 1964 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BINDING WIRE INTERMITTENTLY TO WIREBOUND BOX-MAKING MACHINE 5 SheetsSheec 3 Filed May 7, 1962 3,123,830 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BINDING WIRE IN- TERMITIENTLY T WIREBOUN D BOX-MAKING MACHINE William J. Hogan, Dover, and Allan R. Kishpaugh, Rockaway, N.I., assignors to Stapling Machines Co., Rockaway, NIL, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,889 5 Claims. (Cl. 1121) This invention relates to wirebound box or crate-makmg machines and particularly to an attachment therefor which automatically supplies predetermined lengths of binding wire intermittently during the manufacture of wirebound box or crate blanks.

The device embodying this invention is particularly useful in conjunction with the type of wirebound boxor crate-making machines disclosed in U.S. Patents No. 2,304,510, No. 2,482,370, and No. 2,578,936 for fabricating blanks for five-sided (open-topped) wirebound boxes or crates, in which blanks thetwo box or crate ends oc cupy the position which is normally occupied by the top or cover section of a conventional wirebound box or crate blank. A wirebound box of this type, but of somewhat diiferent design from that disclosed herein, is illustrated and described in U.S. patent application Serial No. 40,901, filed July 5, 1960. 1

In previous five-sided wirebound boxes or crates, such as that disclosed in the aforementioned application Serial No. 40,901, binding wires are provided only at the lateral edges of the box or crate blank. However, in the use of these boxes or crates for packaging and transporting certain types of materials, the face material of the box or crate tends to bulge at the center, opening up at the bottom corners and creating a hazard of pinching or loss of the contents.

The present invention provides means for adapting a conventional wirebound boxor crate-making machine to form five-sided boxes or crates in which this difiiculty is eliminated by tying the central portions of the front and rear sides to the bottom by means of one or more shortened, intermediate binding wires which extend around these three sides, with the ends of the binding wires pro jecting only slightly beyond the first and last staples driven astride the binding wire on the front and rear sides. The attachment of this invention feeds binding wire to the intermediate stapling unit or units in timed relationship with the movement of the box or crate elements beneath the stapling units, so that the leading end of each intermediate binding wire arrives at the stapling unit just after passage of the leading edge of the front section past the stapling unit and just prior to driving of the first staple in this section, and this staple is driven astride the binding wire to secure its leading end. After the desired length of wire has been fed, feeding automatically stops and the wire is severed, after which its trailing portion is pulled from the wirefeed device by virtue of its attachment to the moving work by the staples. The last staple to be driven astride the binding wire is positioned just short of its trailing end, which in turn is positioned just ahead of the trailing edge of the rear side section of the box or crate blank.

Certain components associated with the device may be adjusted to provide for the feeding of the exact length of binding wire required to span the front, bottom and rear sides of various sizes of wirebound boxes and crates. Since the short intermediate binding Wire is secured to only the first three sections of the box or crate blank, it is necessary to interrupt the driving of staples after the last staple is driven astride the trailing end of the binding wire, while the staple pattern is continued by the two outside stapling units to secure the outside binding wires to the two box or crate ends at either side of the trailing section of the blank. Such interrupted stapling operations are produced, for example, by a mechanism of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,578,936.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the righthand side of a wirebound box-making machine, partially broken away, showing an illustrative automatic intermittent binding wire feed device embodying features of the present invention, and related mechanisms.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, at slightly enlarged scale, of the right-hand side of the wirefeed device of F IG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view, at the same scale as FIGURE 2, showing the left-hand side of the device.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational sectional view at enlarged scale, of a portion of the machine shown in FIGURE 1, as viewed from the opposite side, showing the control switches and switch actuating elements of the device of the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the portion of FIGURE 1 designated T, the mechanism which remotely controls starting and stopping of the staple driving operations of the intermediate stapling unit.

FIGURE 7 is an isometric view of a five-sided box as produced by a wirebound box-making machine incorporating the present invention.

FIGURE 8 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the device.

FIGURE 7 shows a five-sided crate blank of a type which the mechanism of the present invention is particularly adapted to fabricate. As may be seen, this blank includes, in order from its leading end, a front section E, a bottom section D, a rear section F, and, in place of the usual top section, an end section having two opposed crate ends A. The blank is foldably secured together by outside binding wires C which extend the full length of the blank, and an intermediate binding wire B which substantially spans the first three sections only. The leading and trailing ends of the intermediate binding wire B extend approximately one-quarter of an inch beyond the first and last staples S and S respectively, which are driven astride said wire into the face material of the front and rear sections E and F. Although this particular crate blank has only one intermediate binding wire B, it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to forming blanks having two or more intermediate binding wires, in which event more than one of the intermediate wire feeding units described hereinafter are employed.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show the rightand left-hand sides, respectively, of an illustrative intermediate binding wire feeding unit of this invention. As may be seen in these figures, a body member 2 is provided with a boss 4- in which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 6 which is keyed to the binding wire feed shaft G of the conventional wirebound box-making machine. Thus the wire feed shaft G provides one of the two means of support of the unit and also furnishes driving power thereto, while permitting adjustable movement of the unit transversely of the ma chine to accommodate different sizes and types of box or crate blanks. The other means for supporting the unit at the desired angle is provided at the right-hand side of body member 2 as viewed in FIGURE 2, by the attached flange member 8 bearing a fixed, horizontally extending L-shaped member It and a plate member 12 adjustably clamped by a bolt 14 at opposite sides of an elongated shelf H projecting outwardly from the stapling units support bar J.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, and particularly in FIGURE 2, a knurled feed wheel 16 keyed to the hinda? ing wire feed shaft G is spaced from the sleeve 6 a stiff.- cient distance to align its knurled face with the cooperating knurled face of a smaller diameter idler pressure roller 18 rotatably mounted on a bolt 23 threaded in the outer face of a lever 22. The end of lever 22 adjacent bolt is rotatably mounted on a bolt 24 threaded in the outer face of body member 2, the roller 18 being eccentrio with respect to the bolt 24, so that rotation of lever 22 about bolt moves roller 18 toward or away from feed wheel 16. The opposite end of lever 22 is pivotally attached by a pin 28 to the lower end of a link member 26 whose upper end is pivotally secured by a pin 30 to a forked member 32 threaded about the lower end of the piston rod 34 of an air cylinder 36 fastened to the upper portion of the near face of a bracket 38 projecting upwardly from body member 2. The lever 22 is yieldably urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 2, by a tension spring 40 whose lower end is attached to a stud 42 threaded in the outer face of lever 22 adjacent pin 28, while its opposite end is fastened to a stud 44 threaded in the near face of bracket 33.

Mounted to the right of feed wheel 16 and tension roller 18, as viewed in FIGURE 2, is a wire-cutting mechanism comprising a housing 4-6 secured to the adjacent face of body member 2 and slidably supporting a square bar 48 having inserted at its lower left-hand corner a hardened cutting member 59 which cooperates in shearing relation with the flattened end 52 of the shank of a bolt 54. Bolt 54 is threaded into the left-hand side of housing 46, and is provided with a small-diameter hole therethrough, having a bell-mouth at the headed end of the bolt, which is in ali nment with the path of the binding wire strand as it is fed beyond feed wheel 16 and pressure roller 18. The bolt 54 has threaded on it a lock nut 56 for securing it in a fixed position once it is set in proper shearing relation with cutter member 50.

The upper end of the square bar 43 is loosely mounted on a pin 58 carried in the lower portion of a slotted member 69 threaded about the lower end of the piston rod 62 of an air cylinder 64, which is attached to a bracket 66 extending laterally from a post 68 projecting upwardly from body member 2. The bar 48 is yieldably urged upwardly by a pair of tension springs 70 positioned at opposite sides of air cylinder 64. The lower ends of the springs 70 are hooked about the ends of pin 58 which project outwardly from either side of slotted member 60, while the upper ends of the springs 70 are hooked around the projecting ends of rods 72 fastened to and projecting laterally from the top edge of bracket 66.

Near the top of the aforementioned upwardly extending bracket 33 is fastened a horizontally extending U- shaped wire guide 74 through which the binding wire strand is threaded and which serves to guide the binding wire about a V-grooved pulley 76 which is rotatably mounted on a bolt 78 threaded in the adjacent face of body member 2. Adjacent the lower right-hand side of pulley 76 is a bell-mouthed guide tube 80 adjustably clamped by means of base block 82, clamp member 84, and thumb screw 86, in proper position to guide the binding wire strand between the knurled faces of feed wheel 1% and pressure roller 18.

The binding wire strand is further guided beyond the severing point into and through a guide block 94) having a bell-mouthed small diameter hole therethrough and an elongated guide tube 88 connected thereto, this assembly being pivotally mounted, in alignment with the previously mentioned wire-guiding elements, by means of a bolt 92 threaded through the guide block "3% and into the adjacent side of body member 2. The left-hand end of guide block 99 is received and guided in a groove 94 shaped in the adjacent surface of housing 46, the groove being slightly wider than guide block 96) to permit pivotal movement of the latter about bolt 92. However, guide block is normally urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 2, against the upper shoulder of groove 94 by the action of tension spring 96, the lower end of this spring being hooked about a stud 98 threaded in the top surface of guide block 98 and its upper end being hooked about a screw 10) threaded into the adjacent face of body member 2.

The tube 88 is held adjustably fixed in guide block 99 by thumb screws 1tl2 and terminates in a short, upwardly angled portion which rests in a horizontal position on the upper surface of the work adjacent the point at which the staples are driven by the intermediate stapling unit K. This angular end of guide tube 88 is held by a clamp member 104 loosely mounted on a bolt 1% threaded in the lower left-hand portion of the adjacent face of stapling unit K. Clamp member 104 is free to pivot slightly to accommodate variations in thickness of the box parts or other unevenness of the surface of the work, but is yieldably held against the surface of the work by the action of a tension spring 108 whose lower end is hooked to a stud 110 projecting from the edge of clamp member 1G4 and whose upper end is secured by a screw 112 threaded in the adjacent face of stapling unit K.

As may be seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, and particularly in FTGURE 3, body member 2 has fixed at one side and projecting upwardly therefrom a vertical plate 114 supporting at its upper edge a horizontal bracket 116 on which is fastened an electrically operated air valve 118 connected to an air tank 120 (FIGURE 1) by an air supply line 122. This air valve 118 is connected to the air cylinder 36 of the wire feed mechanism by an air line 124 and to the air cylinder 64 of the wire cutting mechanism by an air line 126. In the former air line 124 there is interposed an air flow control valve 128 which insures smooth action of air cylinder 36 by limiting and stabilizing the pressure of the air supplied thereto. Also, there is interposed in air line 126 from air valve 113 to air cylinder 64 a quick exhaust valve 130, which provides for an instantaneous return of the wire cutting element following a wire cutting operation.

In FIGURES 4 and 5 there is shown the control means by which air valve 118 and its associated mechanisms are controlled to cause the feeding and cutting of predetermined lengths of binding wire to be stapled at an intermediate position on wirebound box or crate blanks as they move therebeneath and are presented to intermediate stapling unit K. This control means comprises a pair of switch units 132 and 134 (FIGURE 4) having similar components and construction; thus it will sufiice to describe only one of these units. The units 132 and 134 are adjustably mounted on an elongated rail member 136 spaced outwardly from and fastened by recessed screws 13% t0 the adjacent face of a channel member L extending longitudinally at the right-hand side of a wirebound box-making machine. Projecting from the rear side of the extreme upper rightand left-hand corners of back plate of unit 132 are a pair of hook members 142 which are engaged about and slidably supported on the upper edge of rail member 136. The lower corners of back plate 140 carry bolts 144- threaded into clamp members 146 (FIGURE 5) which are hooked about the bottom of rail member 136, and when tightened serve to secure the unit in fixed position after it has been properly located on rail member 136 (FIGURE 5).

The back plate 14%} supports on the left-hand portion of its adjacent face an irregularly shaped finger 14S centrally fixed on a supporting block 150 which is pivotally mounted on a bolt 152 threaded in back plate 140. The generally Z-shaped free left-hand end of finger 148 extends upwardly and outwardly in position to be contacted by certain elements of the box-making machine, which will be described later. The opposite portion of irregularly shaped finger 148 extends downwardly and has threaded therein near its free lower end a headed screw 154- with lock nut 156, which is in alignment with the actuating plunger 158 of an electric switch 169 attached to the adjacent face of back plate 1'40. Fastened to the lower portion of the adjacent face of back plate 140 is a bracket 162, which has interposed between its upper surface and the undersurface of a horizontal portion of finger 148 a compression spring 164 which is maintained in vertical alignment by its encirclement of short studs carried by flange member 162 and finger 148. The Z-shaped end portion of finger 14-6 is yieldably urged upwardly by compression spring 164, to a height limited by contact of the free end of the downwardly projecting portion of finger 148 against the adjacent end of an adjustable stop screw 1711, with lock nut 172, threaded through the lower portion of bracket 162.

The switch units 132 and 134 are spaced apart along rail member 136 a distance corresponding to the length of the intermediate binding wire. As described more fully hereinafter, actuation of the first switch unit 132 initiates the feeding of the intermediate binding wire strand at the proper time, and actuation of the second switch unit 134 stops the wire feeding and actuates the wire cutting mechanism to sever the binding wire.

Initially, to prepare the device to perform its function of automatically feeding binding Wire intermittently, the wire strand is first threaded into and through the wire guiding elements to a point slightly beyond the end of bolt 54. The second switch unit 134 (FIGURE 4) is then manually tripped, actuating its switch 161. As shown in FIGURE 8, switch 161 is a normally closed single-pole, single-throw switch connected in series with the winding of a relay 173 across the power line 175a, 1751;. Actuation of the switch 161 opens its contacts and de-energizes the relay 173, opening its contacts 173a and 17311. The opening of the latter contacts de-energizes the winding 116a of air valve 118 (FIGURE 4), causing air to flow to air cylinders 36 and 6 4. Thus, pressure roller 16 is removed from engagement with the binding wire strand, as lever 22 is moved to the position shown by broken lines M in FIGURE Zby downward movement of link member 26 and piston rod 34- of air cylinder 36. Simultaneously, piston rod 62 of air cylinder 64 moves bar '63 downwardly, causing cutting member 56 to sever the excess wire projecting beyond the end of bolt 54.

FIGURES 1, 4 and 5 show the several sections of a five-sided wirebound box blank (FIGURE 7) maintained and moved in properly spaced relationship by conventional spacing members N adjustably clamped to the conveyor band P at the right-hand side of the box-making machine (the similar left-hand conveyor band not being shown). The switch units 132 and 134 are actuated by a trip lug 166 carried by the leading spacing member N of each box blank setup, this trip lug also serving to clamp the spacing member to the conveyor band P.

As the work moves continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow R in FIGURE 4, the trip lug 166 of the leading spacing member N is brought into contact with the Z-shaped free end of finger 143 of the first switch unit 132. This imparts a counterclockwise movement to finger 148, causing the headed screw 154 carried by the downwardly proiecting portion of said finger to contact and depress plunger 158 of electric switch 166. As may be seen in FlGURE 8, switch 164) is a normally open, single-pole, single-throw switch which is connected in parallel with the contacts 173a of relay 173 and in series with switch 161 and thewinding of relay 1'73 across the power line 175a, 1751). Actuation of the switch 160 closes its contacts, energizing relay 173 and closing its contacts 173a and 173b. Closure of the relay contacts 173a completes a holding circuit which maintains the relay 173 energized after the plunger of switch 166 is released. Closure of the relay contacts 1731) energizes the winding 113a of air valve 118 (FIGURE 4), causing quick exhaust valve 130 to remove air pressure from air cylinder 64, allowing tension springs 76 immediately to retract square bar 48 from its lower, wire cutting position to the upper position shown in FIGURE 2. Also, the flow of air to air cylinder 36 is cut off, permitting tension spring 46 to move lever 22 upwardly, causing the knurled face of pressure roller 13 to engage the binding wire strand and urge it against the knurled face of the continuously rotating feed wheel 16' to begin the feeding of binding wire.

Simultaneously therewith, the leading end of the box blank arrives beneath the wire end and both continue at the same rate of travel. As they arrive at a point beneath the intermediate stapling unit K to receive the first staple, the leading end of the wire will have assumed a position spaced the desired distance back from the leading edge of the front side section B of the box blank (FIGURE 7). As the work continues to move, other staples are driven astride the intermediate binding wire B in a pattern similar to that of the staples driven astride the outside binding wires C positioned adjacent the lateral edges of the boX blank.

When the desired length of intermediate binding wire B has been fed, trip lug 166 will have been moved to contact the Z-shaped end of the irregularly shaped finger 149 of the second switch unit 134, imparting a counterclockwise rotation to the finger, causing its headed screw to contact and depress the plunger 159 of switch 161. As may be seen in F-iGURE 8, this opens the normally closed contacts of switch 161, de-energizin-g the Winding of relay 173, opening its contacts 173b and deenergizing the winding 118a of air valve 118 (FIGURE 4). This permits air to flow through lines 124 and 12 6 (FIGURE 4) to air cylinders 36 and 64, respectively, causing their associated mechanisms to function to disengage pressure roller 13 from the binding wire and stop the feeding of binding wire; simultaneously, it also causes square bar 48 to be driven downwardly, so that its cutting member 50 crosses the end 52 of bolt '54 to sever the wire. The portion of the trailing end of binding wire B remaining in guide tube 88 is pulled therefrom and stapled to the work as it continues to move beneath and beyond stapling unit K. As the loose trailing end of said wire leaves guide tube 86 it falls a predetermined distance ahead of the trailing edge of the rear side section F of the box blank, and is secured by the last of the staples driven astride the intermediate binding wire B.

As the last staple is driven, the feeding of staple wire S to stapling unit K is interrupted and it drives no more staples until the next following boX blank moves into staple receiving position. However, the desired stapling pattern is continued to completion by other stapling units, which drive staples astride the outside binding wires C.

The means for controlling the feeding of staple wire S to the intermediate stapling unit K is shown assembled to the remote staple pattern control mechanism at the righthand side of FIGURE 1 and in FIGURE 6. As may be seen in FIGURE 6, a start block 174 and a stop block 176 are adjustably attached at predetermined locations on the inner wall 178 of the staple pattern chain 186, which is driven in synchronism with the movement of conveyor band As the pattern chain 188 is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow V (FIGURE 6), start block 176 contacts finger 182, urging it in a counterclockwise direction and causing a stud 184 threaded therein to contact and depress the plunger 186 of an electric switch 188 against the resistance of a compression spring 1% interposed between finger 132 and the adjacent face of switch 188. This de'energizes the air valve 192 connected to an air cylinder 1% carried by stapling unit K (FIGURE 1), releasing the air pressure in cylinder 194 and allowing a tension spring 1% to cause clockwise movement of an elongated lever 198, and an eccentric stud 2% thereon. This causes the knurled face of a pressure roller 202 rotatably mounted on the stud 201 to engage the staple wire S and urge it against the knurled face of the rotating feed wheel 264, to feed Wire into stapling unit K.

As may also be seen in FIGURE 6, a stop block 176 is adjustably fixed on chain wall 178 a predetermined distance following start block 174. During the interval between the passage of said blocks, the desired number of staples is driven astride the intermediate binding wire B, according to the setup of stapling pattern blocks on the other (outside) wall of the staple pattern chain. In suitably timed relationship with the driving of the last staple adjacent the trailing end of intermediate binding wire B, stop block 176 contacts finger 1S2, moving it counterclockwise and causing its stud 134 to contact and depress plunger 1556 of electric switch 18 3, thereby energizing the electric circuit to valve 192. This closes the exhaust port of valve K92, allowing air to flow into air cylinder 1% and forcing lever 198 downwardly. This movement of lever 198 removes the knurled face of pressure roller 262 from engagement with the staple wire S, thus interrupting any further feeding of the wire until time for driving the next sequence of staples into the box parts of the next following box blank.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a practical mechanism for forming box or crate blanks having one or more binding wires which extend only a portion of the length of the blanks. However, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention is intended as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, and not as restrictive of the scope thereof, which is limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a wirebound box-making machine of the type in which properly assembled box parts are conveyed beneath a transverse row of three or more stapling units which drive staples astride longitudinally extending binding wires and into the box parts to form a plurality of box sections foldably secured together by at least three longitudinally extending binding wires, means for adapting said machine to form box blanks which have intermediate binding wires on selected sections and not on other sections, said means comprising a movable wire feed element for feeding a binding wire strand to an intermediate stapling unit, feed element drive means for driving said wire feed element to feed said binding wire strand to said stapling unit, etfectuating means for rendering said wire feed element effective or ineffective to feed said binding wire strand to said stapling unit, a movable wire cutter arranged to cut said binding wire strand, wire cutter drive means for driving said wire cutter, pattern switch means connected to control said efliectuating means and said wire cutter drive means, and pattern switch actuating elements driven in synchronism with the movement of said box parts, said pattern switch actuating elements actuating said pattern switch means to cause said wire feed element to commence feeding of said binding wire strand to said intermediate stapling unit at such time that the leading cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly prior to the driving of its first staple in said selected sections, and to cease the feeding of said binding wire strand during times corresponding to the movement of said other box sections past said stapling units, and to cause said wire cutter to cut said binding wire strand at such times that the trailing cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly after the driving of its last staple in said selected sections.

2. In a wirebound box-making machine of the type in which properly assembled box parts are conveyed beneath a transverse row of three or more stapling units which drive staples astride longitudinally extending binding wires and into the box parts to form a plurality of box sections foldably secured together by at least three longitudinally extending binding wires, means for adapting said machine to form. box blanks which have intermediate binding wires on selected sections and not on other sections, said means comprising a wire feed wheel positioned adjacent one side of a binding wire strand extending to an intermediate stapling unit, wire feed wheel drive means for rotating said wire feed wheel, an idler wheel rotatably mounted at the opposite side of said binding wire strand for movement between an inner, wiretfecding position at which it presses said binding wire strand into frictional engagement with said rotating wire feed wheel and an outer, inoperative position at which the frictional engagement between said wire feed wheel and said binding wire strand is insufiicient for feeding of said binding wire strand, idler wheel motive means for moving said idler wheel between said inner and outer positions, a movable wire cutter arranged to out said binding wire strand, wire cutter drive means for driving said wire cutter, pattern switch means connected to control said idler wheel motive means and said wire cutter drive means, and pattern switch actuating elements driven in synchronism with the movement of said box parts, said pattern switch actuating elements actuating said pattern switch means to cause said wire feed wheel to commence feeding of said binding wire strand to said intermediate stapling unit at such time that the leading cut end of said binding Wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly prior to the driving of its first staple in said selected sections, and to cease the feeding of said binding wire strand during times corresponding to the movement of said other box sections past said stapling units, and to cause said wire cutter to out said binding wire strand at such times that the trailing cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly after the driving of its last staple in said selected sections.

3. In a wirebound box-making machine of the type in which properly assembled box parts are conveyed by continuously moving conveyor bands beneath a transverse row of three or more stapling units which drive staples astride longitudinally extending binding wires and into the box parts to form a plurality of box sections foldably secured together by at least three longitudinally extending binding wires, means for adapting said machine to form box blanks which have intermediate binding wires on selected sections and not on other sections, said means comprising a movable wire feed element for feeding a binding wire strand to an intermediate stapling unit, feed element drive means for driving said wire feed element to feed said binding wire strand to said stapling unit, effectuating means for rendering said wire feed element etfective or ineffective to feed said binding wire strand to said stapling unit, a movable wire cutter arranged to out said binding wire strand, wire cutter drive means for driving said wire cutter, electrical pattern switch means mounted alongside one of said conveyor bands and electrically connected to control said eflectuating means and said wire cutter drive means, and pattern switch actuating elements adjustably supported on said one of said conveyor bands for actuating said electrical pattern switch means at selected times, said pattern switch actuating elements actuating said pattern switch means to cause said wire feed element to commence feeding of said binding wire strand to said intermediate stapling unit at such time that the leading cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly prior to the driving of its first staple in said selected sections, and to cease the feeding of said binding wire strand during times corresponding to the movement of said other box sections past said stapling units, and to cause said wire cutter to cut said binding wire strand at such times that the trailing cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly after the driving of its last staple in said selected sections.

4. In a wirebound box-making machine of the type in which properly assembled box parts are conveyed by continously moving conveyor bands beneath a transverse row of three or more stapling units which drive staples astride longitudinally extending binding wires and into the box parts to form a plurality of box sections foldably secured together by at least three longitudinally extending binding wires, means for adapting said machine to form box blanks which have intermediate binding wires on selected sections and not on other sections, said means comprising a movable wire feed element for feeding a binding wire strand to an intermediate stapling unit, feed element drive means for driving said wire feed element to feed said binding wire strand to said stapling unit, effectuating means for rendering said wire feed element effective or ineffective to feed said binding wire strand to said stapling unit, a movable wire cutter arranged to cutting said binding wire strand, wire cutter drive means for driving said wire cutter, a pair of electrical pattern switches mounted at longitudinally spaced positions alongside one of said conveyor bands and so electrically connected for control of said effectua-ting means and said wire cutter drive means that actuation of the first one of said pair of switches causes said efiectuating means to render said Wire feed element effective to feed said binding wire strand to said intermediate stapling unit and actuation of the second one of said pair of switches causes said effectuating means to render said wire feed element ineffective to feed said binding wire strand and also causes said wire cutter drive means to actuate said wire cutter to cut said binding wire strand, and pattern switch actuating elements adjustably supported on said one of said conveyor bands for actuating said electrical pattern switches at selected times, said pattern switch actuating elements actuating said pattern switches to cause said wire feed wheel to commence feeding of said binding wire strand to said intermediate stapling unit at such time that the leading cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly prior to the driving of its first staple in said selected sections, and to cease the feeding of said binding Wire strand during times corresponding to the movement of said other box sections past said stapling units, and to cause said wire cutter to out said binding wire strand at such times that the trailing cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly after the driving of its last staple in said selected sections;

5. In a wirebound box-making machine of the type in which properly assembled box parts are conveyed by continuously moving conveyor bands beneath a transverse row of three or more stapling units which drive staples astride longitudinally extending binding wires and into the box parts to form a plurality of box sections foldably secured together by at least three longitudinally extending binding wires, means for adapting said machine to form box blanks which have intermediate binding wires on selected sections and not on other sections, said means comprising a wire feed wheel positioned adjacent one side of a binding wire strand extending to an intermediate stapling unit, wire feed wheel drive means for rotating said wire feed Wheel, and idler wheel rotatably mounted at the opposite side of said binding wire strand for movement between an inner, wire-feeding position at which it presses said binding wire strand into frictional engagement with said rotating wire feed wheel and an outer, inoperative position at which the frictional engagement between said Wire feed wheel and said binding wire strand is insufiicient for feeding of said binding wire strand, idler wheel motive means for moving said idler wheel between said inner and outer positions, a movable wire cutter arranged to out said binding wire strand, wire cutter drive means for driving said wire cutter, a pair of electrical pattern switches mounted at longitudinally spaced positions alongside one of said conveyor bands and so electrically connected for control of said idler wheel motive means and said wire cutter drive means that actuation of the first one of said pair of switch causes said idler wheel motive means to render said wire feed element effective to feed said binding wire strand to said intermediate stapling unit and actuation of the second one of said pair of switches causes said idler wheel motive means to render said wire feed element inefiective to feed said binding wire strand and also causes said wire cutter drive means to actuate said wire cutter to out said binding wire strand, and pattern switch actuating elements adjustably supported on said one of said conveyor bands for actuating said electrical pattern switches at selected times, said pattern switch actuating elements actuating said pattern switch means to cause said wire feed Wheel to commence feeding of said binding wire strand to said intermediate stapling unit at such time that the leading cut end of said binding Wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling unit shortly prior to the driving of its first staple in said selected sections, and to cease the feeding of said binding wire strand during times corresponding to the movement of said other box sections past said stapling units, and to cause said wire cutter to out said binding Wire strand at such times that the trailing cut end of said binding wire strand will reach said intermediate stapling units shortly after the driving of its last staple in said selected sections.

No references cited. 

1. IN A WIREBOUND BOX-MAKING MACHINE OF THE TYPE IN WHICH PROPERLY ASSEMBLED BOX PARTS ARE CONVEYED BENEATH A TRANSVERSE ROW OF THREE OR MORE STAPLING UNITS WHICH DRIVE STAPLES ASTRIDE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BINDING WIRES AND INTO THE BOX PARTS TO FORM A PLURALITY OF BOX SECTIONS FOLDABLY SECURED TOGETHER BY AT LEAST THREE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BINDING WIRES, MEANS FOR ADAPTING SAID MACHINE TO FORM BOX BLANKS WHICH HAVE INTERMEDIATE BINDING WIRES ON SELECTED SECTIONS AND NOT ON OTHER SECTIONS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A MOVABLE WIRE FEED ELEMENT FOR FEEDING A BINDING WIRE STRAND TO AN INTERMEDIATE STAPLING UNIT, FEED ELEMENT DRIVE MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID WIRE FEED ELEMENT TO FEED SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND TO SAID STAPLING UNIT, EFFECTUATING MEANS FOR RENDERING SAID WIRE FEED ELEMENT EFFECTIVE OR INEFFECTIVE TO FEED SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND TO SAID STAPLING UNIT, A MOVABLE WIRE CUTTER ARRANGED TO CUT SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND, WIRE CUTTER DRIVE MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID WIRE CUTTER, PATTERN SWITCH MEANS CONNECTED TO CONTROL SAID EFFECTUATING MEANS AND SAID WIRE CUTTER DRIVE MEANS, AND PATTERN SWITCH ACTUATING ELEMENTS DRIVEN IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE MOVEMENT OF SAID BOX PARTS, SAID PATTERN SWITCH ACTUATING ELEMENTS ACTUATING SAID PATTERN SWITCH MEANS TO CAUSE SAID WIRE FEED ELEMENT TO COMMENCE FEEDING OF SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND TO SAID INTERMEDIATE STAPLING UNIT AT SUCH TIME THAT THE LEADING CUT END OF SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND WILL REACH SAID INTERMEDIATE STAPLING UNIT SHORTLY PRIOR TO THE DRIVING OF ITS FIRST STAPLE IN SAID SELECTED SECTIONS, AND TO CEASE THE FEEDING OF SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND DURING TIMES CORRESPONDING TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER BOX SECTIONS PAST SAID STAPLING UNITS, AND TO CAUSE SAID WIRE CUTTER TO CUT SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND AT SUCH TIMES THAT THE TRAILING CUT END OF SAID BINDING WIRE STRAND WILL REACH SAID INTERMEDIATE STAPLING UNIT SHORTLY AFTER THE DRIVING OF ITS LAST STAPLE IN SAID SELECTED SECTIONS. 